Geverifieerde rulings en officieel bevestigde community-inzichten, met per item de volledige bewijsketen: bron, citaat en klikbare §-verwijzingen.
battlefield control without units
When a player controls the battlefield but has no units there (achievable via Hostile Takeover or Stormbringer), the current rules have a gap with no obvious outcome. The interim ruling is to start a noncombat showdown as the least disruptive way to handle this scenario. Citaat uit de bron: “starting a noncombat showdown is the least disruptive way to handle this scenario”
zones
Units cannot be played to a base of a player other than their own controller under any circumstances. If instructed to do so (e.g., Temporal Breach choosing an opponent's unit you temporarily control via Hostile Takeover), the unit fails the legality check during finalization and is returned to banishment. Citaat uit de bron: “Units cannot be played to a base of a player other than their own controller under any circumstances.”
When an Attacker destroys all Defending units and still has units remaining, they conquer the Battlefield and immediately score 1 point; additionally, every time a Battlefield is conquered without winning the game, the conquering player draws a card.
“every time you conquer a Battlefield but it doesn't win you the game, you get to draw a card”
Akshan, Mischievous (§370.1.b.1.)
When Akshan, Mischievous steals Shady Spectacles and his controller chooses to copy Aphelios, Aphelios's triggered ability does not trigger. The attach event has already completed before the copy effect is applied, so Aphelios's new triggered ability (gained via copy) cannot react to an attachment event that already occurred. Citaat uit de bron: “if his controller chooses to make him a copy of Aphelios, it's too late by that point for his new triggered ability to see the attachment event”
Ravenborn Tome's Bonus Damage effect now applies only to the next spell played 'this turn,' preventing the bonus from carrying forward to future turns.
“The next spell you play this turn deals 1 Bonus Damage.”
Each Battlefield can only award 1 point per turn; moving a unit away and replacing it with another unit in the same turn does not grant additional points.
“Moving away from a battlefield and back to it with another unit the same turn will not gain you a bonus point.”
“Each Battlefield only gives you 1 point per turn max. You can't move a unit away and move a new one in to score twice.”
Cruel Patron (187.4.c example) (§187.4.c)
If a player kills their only unit at a battlefield to pay Cruel Patron's additional cost, a cleanup is triggered, but control of the battlefield is not lost because Cruel Patron is on the chain. The player may then choose to play Cruel Patron to that same battlefield. Citaat uit de bron: “because there is an item on the chain (Cruel Patron) I don't lose control of the battlefield”
Units with the Ganking ability may move directly from one Battlefield to another, whereas normal units can only move between their controller's Base and a Battlefield.
“only units with the Ganking ability may move between battlefields”
“Some units have Ganking though, which lets them move from Battlefield to Battlefield.”
Empowered (§477.1.b.1.b.)
The empowered status is a temporary modification and not part of a card's printed traits, so it is not copyable by copy effects such as Shady Spectacles. Equipping Shady Spectacles and choosing to copy an empowered unit will not grant the empowered status to the equipped unit. Citaat uit de bron: “empowered is a status, a temporary modification, and not part of the printed traits of the card, so it will not be copied by Shady Spectacles”
Gear cards enter play in the Ready state (not Exhausted), so they can be used immediately; Gear always enters at the controller's Base.
“Gear cannot hold or conquer battlefields, and can only exist in base. If a Gear card is played at a battlefield, it is immediately recalled to the base.”
“Gear enters play Ready, so you can use it right away. It always goes to your Base.”
Rumble, Hotheaded
Rumble, Hotheaded can choose a Mech token to recycle. Tokens inherit the recycle destination of their type—a token that is a unit or gear is recycled to the Main Deck. The token then vanishes (as tokens do whenever they leave the board), but it still counts as 'the unit you recycled,' so Rumble can check its Might. Citaat uit de bron: “tokens 'inherit' the recycle destination of their type(s), so a token that's a unit or gear is recycled to your Main Deck… it still counts as 'the unit you recycled' and Rumble can check its Might.”
Action Spells may be played during the controller's turn or during a Showdown; on an opponent's turn, a player may only play Action Spells during Showdowns.
“Most Spells are labeled Action, which means you can play them during your turn or during a Showdown. If it's not your turn, you can only play Action Spells during Showdowns.”
Baron Nashor (§054.2., 369.3.)
Baron Nashor's passive generates a delayed replacement effect ('I enter there') that replaces his entering any other location with entering the Baron Pit, bypassing play-location restrictions such as Mageseeker Warden. Dragon Roost is only a permission on play location, not a replacement effect, and therefore cannot bypass such restrictions. Citaat uit de bron: “Baron Nashor's passive ability generates a delayed replacement effect...This replacement effect replaces the event of him entering to any other location with him entering to the Baron Pit.”
A unit's Might value represents both the damage it deals in combat and the total damage it can absorb before being destroyed.
“Might... this number shows how much damage they deal AND how much they can take”
Spinning Axe – granted Temporary
If Temporary is granted to an attached Spinning Axe, it has two instances of Temporary: one inactive (the printed keyword, does not trigger) and one active (the granted keyword, does trigger). The active granted Temporary will kill the Spinning Axe at the start of its controller's Beginning Phase. Citaat uit de bron: “The Spinning Axe will have two instances of the Temporary keyword - one that is active and one that is inactive. The inactive keyword will not trigger”
During the Beginning Phase, each player channels 2 Runes from the top of their Rune Deck; the second player channels 3 Runes on their very first turn to compensate for going second.
“If you're going second on your very first turn, you get 3 Runes instead to help catch up.”
Shady Spectacles
If a Sand Soldier equipped with Shady Spectacles (copying Azir, Ascendent) uses the copied activated ability, and then Shady Spectacles is detached and reattached to that same Sand Soldier copying the same unit, the activated ability can be used again. Each attach creates a new, distinct instance of the copied ability, even on the same game object. Citaat uit de bron: “Each instance of the copied ability is a different ability... the copied rules text is an entirely new instance of the ability.”
Even when no enemy units are present during a Showdown, both players may still play Actions and Reactions in an attempt to remove the attacking units.
“Even if there are no enemy units, players may still play Actions and Reactions to try and remove the attacking units.”
344.2
Rule 344.2 updated: a Showdown is opened during the Cleanup at the end of the action that caused the Battlefield to become Contested if there aren't units controlled by different players at that Battlefield — replacing the old condition of 'the Battlefield is uncontrolled when it becomes Contested.' Citaat uit de bron: “If Control of a Battlefield is Contested and there aren't units controlled by different players there, a Showdown is opened during the Cleanup at the end of the action.”
A player's main deck may only contain cards belonging to the domains listed on their Champion Legend card.
“her deck must only contain cards of the Mind and Order domain”
“You can only put cards in your deck that match your Legend's Domains”
Profiteer
A player can use Profiteer to disempower their own legend (e.g., Ambessa, Matriarch of War) in order to empower another unit such as Kayle. A player controls their own legend; control of legends cannot change. Citaat uit de bron: “you can disempower Ambessa, Matriarch of War with Profiteer. And yes, you control your own legend.”
Signature Cards are Legend-specific cards that can only be included in a deck matching their designated Legend, with a maximum of 3 total Signature Cards permitted across the entire deck.
“You can only use them with their matching Legend, and you can't put more than 3 total Signature Cards in your deck.”
Mandatory Actions and Private Information
A player cannot be compelled to perform an action on cards whose privacy is secret or private if that action specifies a type or quality of card. If such an effect would compel this, the player may ignore it instead. This means Rift Herald's Deathknell cannot force an opponent to play a unit from hand. Citaat uit de bron: “A player cannot be compelled to perform an action on cards whose privacy is secret or private if that action specifies a type or quality of card.”
Recalling a unit to base via Zhonya's Hourglass is explicitly not considered a move.
“Send it to base. This isn't a move.”
Contested Status (§323.8)
When a player moves a unit to a battlefield they don't control, the Contested status is applied to that battlefield immediately upon the unit becoming located there — regardless of whether units controlled by another player are present. Per rule 323.8, a Showdown is then staged at that battlefield in the following cleanup. Citaat uit de bron: “apply the Contested status to that battlefield immediately upon becoming located there, regardless of whether there are units controlled by another player there or not.”
Battlefield Control (open state, rule 187.4.c) (§187.4.c)
Per rule 187.4.c, a player loses control of a battlefield only in a cleanup that occurs while the turn is in an Open state and they have no units there (and no Combat/Showdown is ongoing). Control cannot be lost during a cleanup while items remain on the chain, enabling effects that kill or banish a unit and then play a new one to target that same battlefield. Citaat uit de bron: “If a player has no Units at a Battlefield and the turn is in an Open state, they lose Control of that Battlefield in the following cleanup”
Zilean + Deceiver (no infinite token loop)
When Deceiver's reflexive trigger copies Zilean, Time Mage, the two Reflection tokens resolve and become copies of Zilean. However, there is no subsequent 'play token' game action for Zilean's replacement effect to apply to, so no further tokens are produced and the loop does not repeat. Citaat uit de bron: “there is no subsequent play game action involving tokens to apply their replacement effects to”
Legion (§419.4.b)
Legion checks whether cards were finalized by an opponent, not whether an opponent controls a spell that resolves. A spell finalized by an opponent but subsequently taken over via Rebuttal still counts as finalized by the opponent, so Legion abilities remain active. Citaat uit de bron: “Battering Ram and Legion … check whether cards were finalized. Although you gained control of Stupefy, you did not finalize it; you got it after it was already finalized by your opponent.”
Astral Heron
Astral Heron's triggered ability discounts the next card played (added to the chain and queued for finalization) this turn after the ability resolves. Erratum wording: 'When you play your first card each turn, if I'm at a battlefield, the next card you play this turn costs [2]AA less.' Citaat uit de bron: “It discounts the next card played (added to the chain and queued for finalization) this turn after the ability resolves.”
323.6
Rule 323.6 is corrected to read: 'Players lose control of any controlled Battlefields without their Units occupying them if the turn is in an open state and there is no Showdown or Combat ongoing there.' This replaces the old wording, which incorrectly made unoccupied battlefields with no Showdown or Combat become universally Uncontrolled rather than stripping control only from the player whose units are absent. Citaat uit de bron: “Players lose control of any controlled Battlefields without their Units occupying them if the turn is in an open state and there is no Showdown or Combat ongoing there.”